Training for Tree Surgery

Tree surgeons have one of the hardest jobs out there. Anyone who has ever hired one or has had the good luck to see them in action will understand the challenging and dangerous nature of their work.

If you’re planning on hiring a ﻿tree surgeon it can be reassuring to know that they have been well trained! There are may courses and qualifications out there for tree surgeons although many of them also learn on the job, joining companies as unskilled trainees and learning the skills required to perform this trade gradually over time.

After joining a company a tree surgeon will spend quite a bit of time acclimatizing to the company itself and learning their rules, health and safety procedures, etc. Because of the nature of this job, tree surgeons will often have to react to incidents in a split second. Therefore knowing the typical operating procedure of the company – and the new surgeons fellow employees – can save lives.

This early training will also cover location, contents and use of first aid kits before moving onto PPE. This acronym stands for Personal Protection Equipment and, as may be guessed, is the protective equipment issued to each tree surgeon. It ranges from gloves and boots to helmets and face masks and shields.

After the new tree surgeons are fully acclimatized here it is time to move onto the first stages of training in the safe use of a chainsaw. This is of course the key tool for a tree surgeon; therefore training in its careful operation is a must.

The first stage of training deals with general maintenance of the chainsaw itself. This covers how to notice the early warning signs of mechanical failure along with training in maintaining the tool itself. Whether this is cleaning air filters or removing and sharpening the blade, keeping his or her chainsaw in peak operating condition is an exceptionally important skill for the new tree surgeon to learn.

After they know how to maintain and care for their chainsaw, it’s time for tree surgeons to move onto the surgery section of their training. Initial training will cover basic felling techniques. Surgeons are taught how to bring a tree down in a certain direction, or how to safely remove large branches. Further training and certification is of course available further down the line which will cover, for example, the felling of larger trees. Tree surgeons will however be required to master and gain experience of the more basic components of tree surgery before moving onto these advanced courses.

Finally, because much of the tree surgeons job takes place up off the ground, thorough training must be given in the various techniques and equipment used to access high points. This can include such things as safe harness operation or how to use a mechanical device such as a cherry picker. They are also trained in what to do should the unthinkable happen – this is referred to as aerial rescue, and all tree surgeons will be proficient in this group of core skills.​As you can see, an awful lot of work goes into the training of tree surgeons. Given the nature of the work of course, this is completely justified. The next time you are looking to hire a tree surgeon then, you can rest assured that they are well trained and certified to carry our their jobs.